Profiling gut microbiota signatures associated with the deficit subtype of schizophrenia: Findings from a case-control study

Krzysztof Kowalski; Paulina Żebrowska-Różańska; Paweł Karpiński; Dorota Kujawa; Łukasz Łaczmański; Jerzy Samochowiec; Magdalena Chęć; Patryk Piotrowski; Błażej Misiak

doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110834

Profiling gut microbiota signatures associated with the deficit subtype of schizophrenia: Findings from a case-control study

Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2023 Dec 20:127:110834. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110834. Epub 2023 Jul 18.

Authors

Krzysztof Kowalski¹, Paulina Żebrowska-Różańska², Paweł Karpiński³, Dorota Kujawa², Łukasz Łaczmański², Jerzy Samochowiec⁴, Magdalena Chęć⁵, Patryk Piotrowski¹, Błażej Misiak⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, Division of Consultation Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
² Laboratory of Genomics & Bioinformatics, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland.
³ Laboratory of Genomics & Bioinformatics, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland; Department of Genetics, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
⁵ Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland. Electronic address: blazej.misiak@umw.edu.pl.

PMID: 37473955
DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110834

Abstract

Background: Previous studies have reported a variety of gut microbiota alterations in patients with schizophrenia. However, none of these studies has investigated gut microbiota in patients with the deficit subtype of schizophrenia (D-SCZ) that can be characterized by primary and enduring negative symptoms. Therefore, in this study we aimed to profile gut microbiota of individuals with D-SCZ, compared to those with non-deficit schizophrenia (ND-SCZ) and healthy controls (HCs).

Methods: A total of 115 outpatients (44 individuals with D-SCZ and 71 individuals with ND-SCZ) during remission of positive and disorganization symptoms as well as 120 HCs were enrolled. Gut microbiota was analyzed using the 16 rRNA amplicon sequencing. Additionally, the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), glucose and lipid metabolism markers were determined in the peripheral blood samples.

Results: Altogether 14 genera showed differential abundance in patients with D-SCZ compared to ND-SCZ and HCs, including Candidatus Soleaferrea, Eubacterium, Fusobacterium, Lachnospiraceae UCG-002, Lachnospiraceae UCG-004, Lachnospiraceae UCG-010, Libanicoccus, Limosilactobacillus, Mogibacterium, Peptococcus, Prevotella, Prevotellaceae NK3B31 group, Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, and Slackia after adjustment for potential confounding factors. Observed alterations were significantly associated with cognitive performance in both groups of patients. Moreover, several significant correlations of differentially abundant genera with the levels of CRP, lipid profile parameters, glucose and insulin were found across all subgroups of participants.

Conclusion: Findings from the present study indicate that individuals with D-SCZ show a distinct profile of gut microbiota alterations that is associated with cognitive performance, metabolic parameters and subclinical inflammation.

Keywords: Cognition; Deficit schizophrenia; Gut dysbiosis; Metabolism; Psychosis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Case-Control Studies
Clostridiales
Gastrointestinal Microbiome* / genetics
Glucose
Humans
Schizophrenia* / microbiology

Substances

Glucose